Board GamesReviews

Review of Bad Beets

If you want dessert, you need to eat your veggies!  How many times did we hear this as children?  Do you find ourselves saying it to our children now?  Did you eat those veggies, or did you find ways to rid yourself of them?  In Bad Beets players are children competing against the other at the dinner table to be the first to get rid of their veggies any way they can.

Components / Set Up

This bluffing card game packs a lot of fun into a tiny package.  There are 15 role card, 50 beet tokens, 15 ice cream tokens, 5 action reminder cards, and one rulebook in the box.  To set up the game give each player 8 beet tokens and an action reminder card.  Shuffle the 15 card deck and deal one card face down to each player, players may only look at their card.

Game Play

1.  Choose a Card

On the first turn of the game, the starting playing draws one card from the deck.  They choose one card to keep and pass the other card, face down, to the next player on their left. On each subsequent turn, the player looks at the card passed to them and chooses one.  They pass the other card to the next player.

2.  Take an Action

Now the player must take one action.  The player doesn’t actually need to have the card to take the action, but they risk having their bluff called.  They have four they may choose.

Eat a Beet – The player simply gets rid of 1 Beet, and no one can call a bluff.

Feed the Dog – If a player feeds the dog, they may get rid of 3 beets.

Tattletale – A player may try to guess a players card and if they guess correctly they give that player 4 beets.

Share – The player may give another player 2 beets.

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3.  Allow Other Players to React

After the player has taken their action, the other players may use reaction cards.  If a player reveals a reaction card, they must discard it and draw a new card.  There are two reactions.

Nuh-Uh! – If a player tries to Tattletale on you, you can use the Nuh-Uh! card to give them four beets instead of them giving you four.

Copycat – If the player feeds the dog, this card can be used; reveal the card and gets rid of 2 beets.

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4.  Players may call you bluff

When a player uses any action, besides eat a beet, the other player can try to call their bluff.  Only one player may call the bluff.  If a bluff is called the active player must reveal their card.  If the card isn’t the same as the claimed action, they cannot take that action.  The player who called the bluff discards one beet.  They must discard the revealed card, and the player draws a new card.  If the revealed card is the same as the action claimed, the player who called the bluff gains a beet and the other player takes their action.  Again the revealed card must be discarded.

 

5.  Resolve Effect & Pass the Turn

Players may take their action after all reactions and if no one was successful in calling their bluff.  If there are two or more copies of the same card are in the discard pile, shuffle it back into the deck.

Game End

The game ends when one player gets rid of all their beets.  That player is the winner.  If players wish to play a longer session, they can use the ice cream tokens to track wins.  The game ends when one player has collected three ice cream tokens.

My Thoughts

Both families and gamers will enjoy playing the sweet game Bad Beets.  The cute theme, artwork, and simple gameplay is attractive to all types of players.

Bad Beets is a small game that comes with quality components.  The artwork has a lot of personality.  I love the little beet tokens with their four different faces and all the cut pictures on the cards.  The cards are a good quality and will stand up to being passed around the table.  I’ve discovered that the player aid is indispensable during gameplay as you are learning the game.  If you can’t remember the actions, it is hard to bluff.  The player aide gives both new players and new gamers the confidence to play the game without always having to remember everything.

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Bluffing and deception games are not my favorite games,  I just don’t get the subtleties of bluffing games and usually give myself away.  They are also very dependent on the group playing.  If your group knows enjoys bluffing games you will enjoy Bad Beets.  Deciding if your opponent is bluffing or doing as their card says can be a lot of fun.  If you are wrong, you will be punished and have to take more beets.  But, if you are right you may just stop them from winning the game.

The simple rules and theme will be a big draw for families.  It is also a good introduction to bluffing for either families or new gamers.  Bad Beets is a light game, but there is strategy that many gamers will appreciate.  Players will enjoy the chance to tattle on others, or get away with feeding the dog when they don’t have the card.  Because you choose between two different cards each turn, others may second guess themselves when trying to call your bluff.  The player who passed to you may know one of your possible cards, but they can’t be sure what card you kept, and what card you passed to the next player.

Bad Beets accommodates two players well.  While it works much better with more players, couples who enjoy bluffing will have a lot of fun with Bad Beets.

Quick, fun, great artwork, and light-hearted gameplay will make Bad Beets a hit for anyone who enjoys bluffing games.

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Quick Stats

Designers: Justin Gary
Artists: Liz Nugent
Publishers: Stone Blade Entertainment
Players: 2-5
Game Length: minutes
Ages: 8 and Up

I received a review copy of Bad Beets.

Review Overview

Final Review

4 Really Liked it

Cute and inviting artwork, an approachable theme, and game play makes Bad Beets a great game for both families and gamers.

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